Krishna plays down report on Chinese incursions

Published: Monday, September 7, 2009, 16:10 [IST]

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New Delhi, Sep.7 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna on Monday sought to play down the alleged incursion by a Chinese helicopter in Ladakh, saying that there is an inbuilt mechanism to deal with it.

Talking to reporters outside his South Block office, Krishna said: "This (India-China boundary in Ladakh) is one of the peaceful boundaries. We have no dispute with China in this area. There is an inbuilt mechanism to deal with such issues.

Krishna's remarks came as the Indian Army said that its Northern commander, Lt. Gen. P. C. Bhardwaj will visit the Leh-based 14 Corps headquarters over the next few days to verify reports of Chinese incursion in the Ladakh area.

Krishna and other sources said the matter would also be raised at the next border meeting between Indian and Chinese officials.

Officials sources have said that Chinese troops entered nearly 1.5 kilometres into the Indian territory near Mount Gya, which is recognised as the international border by India and China, and painted the word 'China' in Cantonese on the boulders and rocks there with red spray paint.

The incursions were reported from the area generally referred in the Chumar sector in east of Leh.

The 22,420 ft Mount Gya, also known as "fair princess of snow" by the Army is located at the tri-junction of Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir, Spiti in Himachal Pradesh, and Tibet. Its boundary was marked during the British era and is regarded as International border by the two countries.

The border patrol discovered the red paint markings on various rocks and boulders along the Zulung La (pass) on July 31 and the Chinese had entered into the area and written "China" all over the place, the sources said.

Indian soldiers later erased the text, writing 'India' instead.

This is not the first such reported intrusion. On June 21 Chinese helicopters had violated the Indian air space along the Line of Actual Control in Chumar region. The Chinese troops also reportedly dropped expired tinned food packets in the area.

Some people blame the problem of Chinese incursions on lack of infrastructure.

India's Ambassador to China, S. Jaishankar was also upbeat about the momentum in the development of Sino-Indian relations, describing it as a "very good story" characterized by booming trade, regular contacts between State leaders as well as rising interaction between the two peoples and even the armed forces of the two countries.

He also brushed aside media reports of conflict along the border as "sensational" and "alarmist".

As for the problems in bilateral relations, he said it is "natural" for countries that have genuine and substantial relations with each other to face a lot of these. He refused to call such problems "irritants", and instead termed them as "issues".

The Chinese Foreign ministry on Monday said the reports of yet another Chinese incursion into India are groundless.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said: "Reports of any incursion into India are groundless and based on incidents which never happened."

The statement further claimed that Beijing seeks a fair and mutually understandable solution through a peaceful and friendly negotiation between both the Asian giants. (ANI)